On May 7, the executive commission of the International Olympic Committee asked the international federations to lift their sanctions against Belarus, taken since the war launched by Russia, and its ally Belarus, against Ukraine in February 2022. The war continues four years later but the IOC therefore reconsiders its position.
The UCI management committee, meeting from Tuesday to Thursday in Desenzano del Garda (Italy), decided to follow the IOC’s recommendation to the letter. Sanctions against Belarusian teams and riders are removed.
The Belarusian federation will therefore be able to present a national team in the Championships and World Cups and select the riders it wishes. The Belarusian flag may be raised and the anthem played.
RELAXATION FOR RUSSIAN JUNIORS
For Russia, the IOC explained in May that the situation remained the same while explaining “there have been constructive exchanges with the ROC (the Russian Olympic committee), but the Belarusian Olympic committee has never been suspended. The ROC still is”. Among the points of friction, the fight against doping. Since 2019, WADA has launched Operation LIMS based on data and samples retrieved in 2019 from the information management system of the Moscow anti-doping laboratory. Based on these data, WADA imposed 302 sanctions for doping against 291 Russian athletes (some were sanctioned twice).
However, the UCI has decided to review its position for the Russian Juniors. At the start of the year, the international federation had rejected the Russian Cycling Federation’s request to allow junior national teams, based on the IOC’s recommendation. The UCI steering committee has this time decided to exempt all Juniors of Russian sporting nationality, and their management, from requesting Neutral Individual Athlete status to participate in UCI events, such as the World Championships. However, any reference to Russia remains prohibited, particularly on jerseys. But the new regulations allow Russian national teams made up of Juniors to participate in international events, starting with the World Championships.. What will these Junior national teams be called?
Finally, Russian riders holding AIN status will be able to form teams for events contested in this form.
